Dairy-Free Crustless Mini Quiches

Ingredients:

half a pound of bulk sausage (browned and drained) (or bacon or canadian bacon, or ham)

half a cup of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained) (or kale, red pepper, tomato, etc)

one and a half cups of frozen shredded potatoes (defrosted - 2 mins. in microwave)

quarter cup of mayonnaise and a quarter cup of water - whisked together

10 eggs 

quarter teaspoon of dry mustard

fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.

Liberally grease two sheets of mini muffin pans (48 mini muffins total). 

Whisk, together mayo/water, eggs, dry mustard, salt & pepper. Mix in sausage, spinach and potatoes. Scoop mix in to muffin tins. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean (approximately 15 minutes - check often). 

These were so good for our homeschool group's Pancake Potluck in the Park that I made more for dinner tonight!

Ingredients:

half a pound of bulk sausage (browned and drained) 

half a bag (1lb?) of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)

one tomato, seeded and chopped fine

3-4 cups frozen shredded potatoes (defrosted - 2 mins. in microwave)

1/3 cup of mayonnaise and 1/3 cup of water - whisked together

14 eggs 

heaping half teaspoon of dry mustard

fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.

Liberally grease 10x15 baking dish. 

Press potatoes in to bottom of baking dish. Whisk, together mayo/water, eggs, dry mustard, salt & pepper. Mix in sausage, spinach, tomatoes. Pour over potatoes. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean (approximately 30 minutes).

Serving for dinner with sautéed kale and fresh cantaloupe and pineapple.

Christmas 2011 version
1 lb bacon
1 lb sausage
1 bag hash browns, defrosted overnight in fridge
16 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup water
1 t mustard powder
salt & pepper

Cheeze Sauce

Dairy-free cheeze sauce for Mac & Cheese


Modified from Gluten Free Goddess. All measurements wildly approximate.


4 tablespoons Earth Balance
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups plain soymilk (add a little at a time until proper consistancy)
2 rounded tablespoons good tasting nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more, to taste
A good dash or two of garlic powder, to taste
A good dash or two of onion powder, to taste
1/2 teaspoon mustard, or to taste
1/2 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon paprika (for orange) or turmeric (for yellow) color- may omit
1/4 cup white wine, to taste (I may omit this next time)

In a saucepan, heat the Earths Balance over medium heat until melted, and whisk in the  flour until it creates a thick paste - add more flour if necessary. Cook and stir the flour for about 30 seconds. 

Slowly add in the soymilk, whisking to blend the flour paste and soymilk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low. Add the nutritional yeast, sea salt, garlic and onion powder, mustard, vinegar, nutmeg, paprika or turmeric, wine (and sesame tahini, if using), and whisk to blend.

Continue heating and stirring the sauce over gentle heat for about five to ten minutes. Taste test. Does it need a hint more salt? Wine?

Stir and gently heat through.

Remove from heat and use on pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables or casserole fillings. Makes about three cups sauce.

Note: Try adding a tablespoon of tahini next time.


I used for macaroni & cheese - mixed with about 2/3 a pound of dried macaroni cooked until al dente. Topped with crusty sourdough bread torn to bite size pieces and drizzled with melted Earths Balance. Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350 or until the bread is golden brown. 

Lemon Picatta

Modified from - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/monday-night-dinner-my-chicken-piccata/

More details to come.

Swiss Chard w/ Bacon

1 huge bunch of rainbow swiss chard
4 slices of bacon, chopped in to 1/2 inch pieces (kitchen shears over the pan work great)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced

wash chard - separate stems and leaves, chop both
in a large wok cook bacon until crisp
remove bacon and dispose of all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat
add chard stems and garlic and cook for 5 minutes
add greens and broth and cook until the chard is wilted and soft
sprinkle with sugar and vinegar, stir
serve topped with reserved bacon pieces

Try To: Smoky Chipotle Orange Dip

Smoky Chipotle Orange Dip

Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free mayonaise
1/2 cup Smucker's sugar free Orange Marmalade
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1 to 3 tablespoons adobo sauce... or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl
Cover and refrigerate several hours to blend flavors
Serve with assorted fresh veggies or corn/tortilla chips

Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup

A big hit with everyone in my house. The boys ate it with some frozen spinach stirred in to cool it off and add a little more green. Everyone had two big bowls full.

Ingredients:
3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large leeks, whites & greens, sliced and rinsed until no grit remains
4 slices bacon, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup Tofutti cream cheese
fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

In a heavy bottom pot cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Reserve the bacon. Cook the sliced and cleaned leeks in the bacon grease until wilted and soft (approx. 20 minutes). Season with a bit of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. In a large crockpot mix leeks, diced potatoes and chicken broth. Cook on high for 6 hours. Mix in Tofutti cream cheese and blend some of the soup with an immersion blender leaving some chunks behind. Serve topped with reserved bacon.

Notes to myself:
Next time cook more bacon and remove some of the bacon grease before cooking the leeks but have extra bacon for topping.

Dairy-Free Copycat Rubio's Fish Tacos

Dairy-Free Copycat Rubio's Fish Tacos

Less greasy, cheaper, quick and dairy-free - these are a great alternative to Rubio's Fish Tacos.

Ingredients:
Trader Joe's low-fat fish sticks
corn tortillas
finely shredded green cabbage
white sauce**

Cook fish sticks, heat tortillas, assemble.


(awful picture)

**White Sauce
1/2 cup Trader Joe's mayonnaise
1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
juice of 1 lemon

Mix together. Serve on fish tacos, chicken tacos, etc.